Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Researchers working in laboratory
2. Various of Chang'e-5 moon sample
3. Researchers working in laboratory
4. Equipment in operation
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Huang Zhixin, researcher responsible for use of lunar samples, Science and Technology Department, Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (starting with shots 3-4/partially overlaid with shots 6-9/ending with shot 10):
"The equipment can accurately analyze the elements on the micron scale in the lunar soil, including the element content, types, and isotopic composition. The main objective of the study is to determine the content of helium-3 in the lunar soil, the extraction parameters of helium-3, which indicates at what temperature we can extract the helium, and how helium-3 gets attached to the lunar soil. We will conduct a systematic study on these aspects."
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6. Screen showing information of moon sample
7. Researchers working in front of computer
8. Screen showing information of moon sample
9. Meter
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10. Researchers working
11. Equipment in operation
12. Various of researchers working in front of computer
13. Various of equipment
14. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Huang Zhixin, researcher responsible for use of lunar samples, Science and Technology Department, Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (starting with shot 13/partially overlaid with shot 15/ending with shot 16):
"This equipment is specially designed to determine the content of helium. There is also a small device inside this container, which will heat the sample and raise the temperature gradually, until it gets to 1,000 degrees Celsius. This way, we can determine the gas content of the helium-3 (at different temperatures), so that we can figure out the optimal temperature for its extraction."
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15. Various of researchers operating machine
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16. Various of meter
17. Various of researchers working in front of computer
18. Screen showing information of moon sample
19. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Ziying, head, Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (partially overlaid with shots 20-22/ending with shot 23):
"As our application for the moon sample retrieved by the Chang'e-5 probe was approved, our institute values this research opportunity very much and has set up a lunar science team to conduct research on the fissile radioactive element uranium. The research is not only of great value for the potential exploitation of such nuclear energy resources on the moon in the future, but also of great significance for the scientific study of the moon itself and its relationship with the Earth."
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20. Approval document of moon sample application
21. Moon sample
22. Various of researchers working in front of computer; screen showing information of moon sample
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23. Various of researchers operating machine
24. Researchers working in front of computer

A scientific research institution in China is looking to helium-3 (He3) in lunar soil for clean energy research and exploitation through the study of the moon samples retrieved by the Chang'e-5 probe.

The Chang'e-5 probe, which returned to Earth on Dec. 17, 2020, retrieved a total of 1,731 grams of lunar samples, mainly rocks and soil from the lunar surface.

The Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology was among the first research institutions to get the lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe.

Researcher have observed and studied the 50-milligram lunar soil sample with a high-resolution optical microscope.

"The equipment can accurately analyze the elements on the micron scale in the lunar soil, including the element content, types, and isotopic composition. The main objective of the study is to determine the content of helium-3 in the lunar soil, the extraction parameters of helium-3, which indicates at what temperature we can extract the helium, and how helium-3 gets attached to the lunar soil. We will conduct a systematic study on these aspects," said Huang Zhixin, a researcher responsible for the use of lunar samples in the Science and Technology Department of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology.

Helium-3 is gas that has the potential to be used as a fuel in future nuclear fusion power plants, which is extremely rare on Earth but exists in abundance on the Moon.

It is a potential future source of fusion energy that doesn't produce harmful substances in the process of producing energy. According to scientific estimates, it would take only 100 tons of helium-3 to meet the world's energy needs for a whole year.

"This equipment is specially designed to determine the content of helium. There is also a small device inside this container, which will heat the sample and raise the temperature gradually, until it gets to 1,000 degrees Celsius. This way, we can determine the gas content of the helium-3 (at different temperatures), so that we can figure out the optimal temperature for its extraction," said Huang.

In addition to helium-3, uranium in the lunar soil is another important element and study object for the nuclear industry.

"As our application for the moon sample retrieved by the Chang'e-5 probe was approved, our institute values this research opportunity very much and has set up a lunar science team to conduct research on the fissile radioactive element uranium. The research is not only of great value for the potential exploitation of such nuclear energy resources on the moon in the future, but also of great significance for the scientific study of the moon itself and its relationship with the Earth," said Li Ziying, head of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology.